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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

One of our regulars on the podcast, 301-571 ( if you listen you know who I am talking about).. well I have been jousting with him for a minute. He has been repeatedly saying stuff about the Democratic party being undemocratic and ranting about super delegates. I brushed him off, but you need to listen to his rant on last night's podcast. I didn't get what he was angry about, but study your history. Go do a google search on Fannie Lou Hamer and "democratic convention"-- Man all you Obama stans need to arm yourself with history! instead of arguing with me for trying to help you guys out. You better do some research on the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) I didn't get why 301-571 was so irate. I GET IT NOW! This superdelagate situation is going to come to a head this year and the result may be disastrous for the party. You are going to have a WHOLE lot of folks BLACK and White echoing the sentiments of Fannie Lou Hamer:

If the Freedom Democratic Party Barack Obama is not seated nominated now, I question America. Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave?

Oh Snap, Crackle, Pop...THIS is getting interestingThe D-LimaThis bad boy is about delegates now. Last night, Obama only needed to stay within close range of Hillary- same goes for California. If this thing makes it all the way to Denver, it could change the face of Democratic party politics forever. I'll just talk about the "Black vote" - and yes, there is a "Black vote". 80% of Black voters are going to Obama. He now appears to be picking up White male voters as well. If this thing drags on through April, then you may not have a Democratic candidate without the requisite amount of "pledged delegates" that would be those delegates assigned based on the election results, then it comes down to the mysterious "Super Delegates"- meaning the party's fat cats would pick the winner and THAT would be NOT. A. GOOD. THING. When you got the first African American to make it to the convention in contention ( Sorry Rev. Jackson)- it won't sit too well if the political elites are assigned responsibility for his defeat.

Because of party reforms in the past and a close race for delegates this year, a nightmare scenario is building for the Democratic National Convention in August: It is easy to imagine that Barack Obama could get to Denver with more pledged delegates than Hillary Clinton, but that she could get the nomination based on the votes of the superdelegates.

Can you imagine what would happen to that 80% of the Black vote that would basically be told. Your vote does not count. You did your part to help send an African American to the White House, but the nominee is going to be selected by Democratic party big wigs... THAT WOULD BE FOLKS LIKE Stephanie Tubbs, Charlie Rangel, John Lewis...you see the problem now?

The Tyranny of the Super DelegatesI have been asking, in fact go look at my Essence.com interview with Jesse Jackson. I asked him if Obama had done enough to cultivate relationships with the Black Political Establishment. Well as mad as the Obama stans are at the CBC members who support Hillary now, IMAGINE what they are going to do when these folks who are also SUPER DELGATES put her over the top. You see. Your vote DOESN"T COUNT....as much as the SUPER DELEGATE'S (here is a list of the SUPER DELEGATES) This is a list of the Super Delegates that remain outwardly undecided. .It takes in some cases hundreds of thousands of voters going to the polls to win a single pledged delegate, but a super delegate is an individual who can vote for whomever they want to just because of their status within the Democratic party- either as an elected official ( ie, CBC members) or because they sit on the Democratic National Committee ( party big wigs).

Will Obama Pull a Fannie Lou?

If this ends up in a fight at the convention and Obama loses due to SUPER DELEGATE votes, there are going to be a WHOLE LOT OF ANGRY FOLKS in the Democratic party.... and lets not even talk about Hillary getting the Florida and Michigan delegates seated.

The conventional wisdom has been that Black folks would get over the Clinton's shenanigans by November, but this convention is in August. August is a LOT closer to November than February. Will the wounds inflicted from having the party fat cats select the nominee have healed by then???? I don't know about that.Not only will they be upset with the Democratic party in general, they are going to be upset with CBC members in particular. Can you image what their constituents who are voting heavily for Obama 80%! are going to think? Can you say a FLOOD of pro-Obama primary challengers in 2010 with the rallying cry "REMEMBER 2008!"-

So my question is.... If it comes down to the SUPER DELEGATES, if Obama is behind, will he fall on his sword and be the good party guy and concede, or will he fight on? Will Obama have the will of Fannie Lou Hamer to say "Thanks, but No Thanks." to whatever compromise Hillary offers. I know Michelle says she ain't doing this again, but lets assume the Republicans win this thing in November ( If Hillary and Mccain end up head to head, that is a strong possibility). So lets say McCain or whoever win in November. The war isn't going well, the economy is about to tank, the budget deficit is ridiculous, we are about to experience inflation like its the 1970s... so the next president is well poised to be a "one termer." Should Obama take any deal offered, or pull a Fannie Lou and walk away from the table and come back in 2012? What about 2010's congressional elections? Will all these black folks who broke with their CBC member turn on those who didn't cast their SUPER DELEGATE votes for Obama???Just me thinking aloud. But y'all need to dig deeper into this thing. Start turning over some rocks.

In other words, stop talking to me and start talking to your SUPER DELEGATES- Will they vote with their personal alliances, or will they vote the will of their constituents???

A.M. McReynolds from The Backyard Beacon provided this story from the New Republic basically saying the whole Super Delegate thing is much ado about nothing.... Hmmm these are the Clintons we're talking about though.... it is a good read.